it Trout Fishing in America sounds like an unlikely name for a bend, imagine the spectacie of a tit-tttot-ttfmt-inch dude with a Cheshire-cat grin ammpanied by his five-toot-tive-inch sidekick on the upright bass, begging the audience to pelt them with debris, Ezra ldiet. the talMrinkofnmttttr in this Houston-based group. concedes that most Canadian audiences are '0ttthetottgohkttupontNromrto throw things at bass player Keith Wim. wood during their heartfelt rendition of The Breakfast Blues. "it really is hysterical," says ldlet. "I realty enioy playing for Canadian audi- ences. They'reavid musicians. butthey hold musicians in ttuctrhigh esteem the By Mel Taylor There's nothing like Trout Fishing in America dispute at the Houston Symphony turmdintrrahmgthy |ookout. Aherafew months with Idiot's band, Grimwood decided not to return to the classical stage.andthreeyearslaterthetwoset offatraduotopumoetNgrown peculiar brand of musical whimsy. Idle! tittectibtte their cumt sound " "extrrmttsly mauve and aggressive musicals!" with dewood's bass. bow- 'Grimwood. with a more; in' classwal music, joined Idiot in his previous band, , Elmo's Firm in 1976 after a Iabor The band has been soliciting abuse since they first began playing their off- tho-wall blend of rhythm and blues, reggae and classic rock. coupled with spontaneous humor and high jinks. ideaof thymine something at them is The unusual name tor this unusual duo is from the '603 ciassic by American novelist Richard Brautigan, whose work hastmmamWorirtturhceonttteband, especially iyn’caity. “it's one of our favorite books.†says Idiot. "It lust seemed kind of funny and off-mama", and nothing about trout fishing." "IreedBrautioanasitwasbeing written." adds Grimwood. “I was wait- tt.rf0r!t)ttttraustttwttssocomsetiiiy different from anything else at the time, especially in his use of adjectives with words that don't fit." ed or slapped, holding down the Sus- tained low and of the musical register. For an acoustic act, the Trouts maintain a solid decibel level though “not painful. ly loud. ', tunes, to My nothing of the onstage t)uftoomsrythat-nit-asGG foradultsaskids. - Idbt feels “the best chudren‘s musoc relates on several Ievels' and that may explain the dimculty in distinguishing the band's adult repertoire from the" Duds once, The Trouts’ first kids' concert video, Go Fish, took first pnze In the musicvtdttocattooryatttte 1990 Hour ton International HIM Festival, That humor and Innocence has stood the group in good stead, especially m tM1t.tbottyoftvrxemeyhtiveireirm, specifically to a growing children s auth. "Brautioan had a way of wrmng. at thinking visually in odd turns of phrase, and a sense of humor and Innocence I think we've hung onto that." says Idle! tthtmtrtu.t'orttmr.tto